Broken and Battered but Still Strong
by SageK
Summary: So, the finale rocked...but who wants to wait until the new season? Not me! Erica/Jack and slight Joshua/Lisa possibly in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

For the second time in recent months, the pulse of humanity as a whole slowed to a stop, staring up into the sky above, uncomprehending and afraid. Months earlier, the cause of their panic had been the arrival of the Visitor's ships but in time, the majority of people had come to accept and even welcome their presence.

Now, as the sky filled with clouds, furious roiling masses of rust red, the world once again paused. Across the globe, men, women and children rushed to windows, roused from their beds or simply looked up, dumbfounded once again by another unexpected appearance above.

Jack Landry, lighting down the stairs of St. Josephine's for his morning run, tipped his face to the burning heavens and offered up a prayer, hoping it was heard. He had a feeling things were about to change once again.

Erica Evans noticed the shift in the light that filtered into her home and stepped toward the windows, peering out in growing horror. She didn't know what possible reason Anna could have for doing this, but maybe now people would see the V's for the danger they were.

Kyle Hobbes, idly tossing a knife in his dingy flat, was drawn to the coverage of this new occurrence as a news broadcast cut across ESPN. He stared at the pixilated red sky and knew the gauntlet had been thrown.

Exiting a taxi, Chad Decker swallowed down his fear, realizing he had a hand in what could be tantamount to the end of the human race.

Peering out his bedroom window, Tyler Evans stared up at the clouds in awe and wondered if the V's would be able to help fix whatever the hell was happening. He shook his head, thinking how lucky they were to have the V's there, right when they needed them most.

Amidst the seething mass of oxidized clouds, Anna stared out one of the portals of her ship, dark, wrathful eyes reflecting the light, a counterpoint to the anger inside.

In a small room with no windows, Ryan looked down into the face of his child. He had no concern for anything else.

Striding down one of the seemingly endless corridors of the ship, Lisa tried to contain her own fear and concern. Despite not knowing what her mother's final plan for the humans was, she knew it was bad. Very bad. And now that Anna was feeling human emotions, she had become even more dangerous, cold logic replaced by vengeful lashing out. Even Marcus was surprised…well, as surprised as he ever got.

Thoughts swirled through Lisa's mind, random snippets not fully formed in the tumble of her anxiety. Tyler and Agent Evans were safe for the moment, but in truth none of them were safe. If they were lucky, they'd meet a quick end, like Joshua….

She bit her lip at the thought of the young man who had placed his trust in her and sacrificed himself for the sake of millions of innocents. Somehow, she vowed to herself, somehow she would prove herself worthy of his faith.

The only problem was the fact that she had no idea where to begin. Next time she went down to visit Tyler, she'd have to be sure to speak with Agent Evans alone.

Thinking she was alone in the hall, Lisa was startled when someone grasped her arm and pulled her into a shadowed alcove. A stab of fear died as quickly as it had appeared. "Samuel?"

The security officer nodded tightly at her, eyes locked on her face. She didn't know what he wanted, but knew she could not show her confusion. He could report her to her mother and Joshua was no longer there to obfuscate and cover for her.

To her surprise, Samuel murmured, "Long live the Fifth Column."

She let out a small gasp, surprised and pleased that at least some of the resistance members had survived. Before she could respond, he continued, eschewing formalities in favor of expedience, "We must act quickly. In 45 minutes, there will be a breach in the ships primary security systems. The compromise will result in the visiting humans being asked to leave the ship for the day. You are free to leave at any time, so you will be able to assist Joshua. We already have the appropriate human clothing and documents."

"What?" she asked, stunned and confused. "Joshua was shot…."

"Badly wounded, but alive," Samuel said, glancing around nervously. It struck Lisa that it must have been very difficult for members of the Fifth Column to remain impassive. She was having a hard time herself. "Once he has recovered enough to undergo the interrogation procedures without lapsing into immediate coma, Marcus will begin. If we fail to get Joshua off the ship, we will have to…."

"No," Lisa said firmly, not wanting to hear certain things said aloud. Lifting her chin, she nodded sharply, "We simply will not fail."

Samuel gazed at her for another moment, then said, "This is the plan….."

V*V*V*V*V

Thirty minutes later, under the cover of diverted security cameras, Lisa strode into a small, seldom used room off of the interrogation suite. A single medic stood with her back to the door, monitoring the figure held to the treatment bed by immobilizing force fields.

Before the woman could turn and see her, Lisa raised the stunner Samuel had given her and shot the doctor in the spine. She convulsed, falling to the deck, unconscious before flesh met metal.

Hurrying into the room, Lisa spoke into her comm, the message short but clear. "Phase 1 complete."

Samuel would know the doctor was out of the equation. He and the other few Fifth Column aboard would be ready when the moment to act came.

"Joshua," she said, stepping over the body of the doctor to reach his side. He stirred as she called up the screen to access the controls of his restraints.

Tired and pained whiskey brown eyes turned to her. "You should not be here," Joshua rasped, voice strained as his body fought to heal itself. "It's too dangerous."

"Nonsense," she chided him as the restraints released. "We are getting you out of here."

Seeing the struggle the simple act of sitting up posed for Joshua, Lisa reached out and gripped his shoulders, helping lever him upright. The movement caused a pained grunt to issue from deep in his chest and she held on, steadying him.

"If you are discovered…" he began, but she silenced him, placing a hand flat against his chest. The hair tickled her palm and she filed the thought away for later contemplation. She'd never seen follicular growth on pectorals. What was the purpose?

"I am not my mother," she said quickly. "I will not accept the loss of life as easily as she does."

He blinked at her and nodded, warmth creeping into his weary eyes. "As you wish," he murmured, then peered at the clothing she was pulling from her bag.

"Put these on," she said, then glanced at the time. They still had a few minutes. "You're going to pretend you're a human and leave on one of the shuttles. We have documents and the necessary files are being altered."

While she spoke, Joshua had managed to haul himself upright and into the denim trousers -- jeans -- but seemed to be having an issue with the buttons. His hands were shaking, probably still shocky.

"Here," she stepped close and fastened the tab with ease. Though V clothing did not actually use buttons, preferring self sealing materials, she had become somewhat accustomed to human clothing over the past several months.

The shirt, white with dark blue sleeves was easily pulled over his head and, though it took a moment to maneuver his arms through the proper openings, it was achieved without incident, as was the donning of the olive canvas jacket on top.

Stooping down, she helped him step into the boots, plain, brown and sturdy, before handing him a wallet. "This holds identification, if the security personnel at the departure gate requests it."

"Thank you," he replied, then glanced down at himself. "Do I appear passably human?"

She took a step back, gazing at him for a moment before fishing a final item from her bag. Reaching out, she set the black, rectangular eyeglasses on his face, then mussed his neat hair. Most of the males she had observed on Earth, at least the ones appearing to be of a similar age, style of dress and level of attractiveness as Joshua tended to look a bit…purposefully rumpled.

"There," she said, satisfied. "Very Human. Don't tuck your shirt in."

He paused, then hugged the hem back out. He was looking pale and still so shaky and Lisa knew that was not good. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

With a soft exhalation, he murmured, "I'll live…Thanks to you."

Smiling, she offered, "I am only still alive because of you."

A small smile crept across his face and Lisa wondered how he had managed to keep his composure for so long. Concealing emotions was not easy and she hoped they would get the chance to talk freely soon. There were so many questions.

But for now they had more immediate concerns. Stepping to his side, she placed his arm around her shoulders and said, "If asked, say you were feeling poorly and I offered to help you along."

"All right," he replied and she was close enough to hear and feel the pained hitch in his breath. While the majority of the damage to his internal organs had been repaired, his muscles and bones, shredded and shattered by bullets, were still knitting, a process that was extremely uncomfortable.

From within Lisa's pocket, Samuel's voice sounded from the comm. "You are clear to go. Everything in set."

Steeling themselves, they entered the room and stepped into the empty hall. Moving as quickly as Joshua's injuries would allow, they hurried through the deserted areas of the ship, finally arriving at one of the main walkways and merged with the crowd there.

Visiting humans were milling amongst members of the Live Aboard Program and though a few seemed to notice Lisa helping Joshua, no one commented. After all, she had become known as one of the more approachable, friendly V's. It would not be seen as out of character for her to be assisting someone.

As they moved through the mass of people, the ship wide intercom sounded, Marcus's voice echoing through the ship.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time I'm afraid we have to ask all non Live Aboard Humans to make their way to the shuttles. We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is a technical issue."

Allowing themselves to be pulled along with the flow of humanity, Lisa was fairly certain none of the guards had taken notice of them. As they approached the departure point, Lisa murmured, "Can you walk alone for a few minutes?"

Joshua nodded and she slipped out from under his arm, allowing him to move a pace or two ahead of her.

Whatever Samuel and his people had done had been effective and the V at the departure gate didn't even look twice at what he though to be just another random Human male. Joshua was waved through and Lisa followed, offering the attendant a curt nod.

They were all used to her coming and going and, since the shuttle explosion, Anna thought it safer for her to ride on the passenger shuttles. She didn't mind, usually even enjoyed observing the people on the flights and today the habit worked in her favor.

Joshua had already dropped into a seat, looking miserable and exhausted. His skin was pale and clammy and he had his arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

Lisa settled into a seat on his right and patted his back gently. When she had been hurt, when her mother had ordered her to be beaten, Agent Evans had held her in the medical center, stroking her hair. It had been soothing and unlike anything she'd ever felt.

Joshua's head was bowed and his eyes squeezed shut, trying to master and control the pain lancing through his body. She wished she knew some of the things he did. Even though her mother had ordered him to leave the bruised on her face, the first thing he had done was inject her with something that had taken away her pain. She couldn't do the same for him.

Unsure, she raised a hand and touched his head, fingers stroking his scalp through his hair. The texture was different than her own or Tyler's, thick and coarse and the longer strands seemed to want to curl around her fingertips.

An elderly human woman settled into the seat on Joshua's other side and regarded him with a concerned eye. Looking over the top of his head, she asked Lisa, "Is he all right?"

She smiled at the woman to reassure her. "Yes, ma'am. A bit motion sick perhaps."

The woman's brows rose. "Really? I couldn't even feel us moving…but then again I always had good sea legs," she mused, then opened the enormous purse on her lap. "Here, son, have a butterscotch. I will help settle your tummy."

Offering her a weak smile, Joshua accepted the small, foil wrapped candy and murmured, "Thank you."

Lisa watched him unwrap the treat with trembling fingers and slide the candy into his mouth. Their seat mate rambled contentedly, talking about her visit and wondering what had caused the strange, red clouds.

As the shuttle disengaged from the mother ship, the terrible clouds were visible through the port holes. Occasionally there were bursts of electricity, lightning jumping from cloud to cloud. Lisa wondered how it was possible to overlook the fact that these odd atmospheric conditions were suspiciously predated by their arrival. Perhaps it was just denial.

The light filtering into the passenger seating area bathed the room and its inhabitants in an ever shifting glow of reds and oranges. It gave the odd illusion that they were all aflame.

Obviously the unusual weather unnerved the commuters who were all whispering amongst themselves, but were far more sedate than usual. Normally, on these flights, people were boisterous, loud and excitable, but today they were enraptured by the view out the windows.

As they approached the landing pad, it became clear that the Peace Ambassador Center was going to be a bustling hub of activity. She wondered if the surging tide of humanity she could see surrounding the center were there looking for help or an explanation. Perhaps they would have the good sense to be suspicious or maybe they'd have the same sense of false hope as their elderly seat mate.

As with boarding the shuttle, they disembarked without incident. By the time they reached a tiny nearby coffee shop, where Lisa ducked into the restroom to change, then stuff her uniform into a vent (she wouldn't put it past her mother to have had her clothes tagged with a tracking device), Joshua looked ready to fall over. She purchased two bottled waters before gathering Joshua up and making their way across the street.

Outside a small branch of the New York Public Library was a sturdy stone bench, onto which Joshua collapsed when his legs finally gave out. Lisa sat beside him, holding him up as tremors wracked his frame.

A few people passed by, but were too enthralled with the ominous clouds to notice two seemingly ordinary young people sitting quietly by a library. Even if one of them was a pale, shaking wreck.

"Drink," she said quietly, holding one of the sports bottles up to Joshua's mouth. He sipped the drink slowly and she looked down at his head which had fallen against her shoulder.

When he paused to rest, she set the bottle down on the bench and pulled out her cell phone. Scrolling through the limited list of contacts, she found the one she was looking for, hit dial and waited for an answer.

"Agent Evans? It's Lisa. I need your help…."

V*V*V*V*V

"What the hell is the point of turning the bloody sky red?"

Kyle was pacing around his dingy flat, agitated and continually glancing at the television, which was tuned to a news station, which was, of course, covering the 'Unexplained Meteorological Phenomenon' in progress. That's what the talking heads were calling it.

Yeah, right.

Erica leaned back against the pillar, her shoulder brushing Jack's. She'd made a call into work, but the FBI did not consider the sudden radical shift in the color of the clouds overhead to be something to concern them. Sometimes she really questioned the intelligence of her superiors…of course, maybe they were V's. That would explain a lot.

"Maybe they're setting themselves up to 'save' us," Erica speculated. "But what are we going to do about it? And Ryan is still missing, so we're out our V expert."

Jack had been fairly quiet since they'd arrived at Hobbes's place, but, letting his head fall back against the pillar, he said, "We have to do something soon. Those clouds are blotting out the sun, world wide. The last time that happened was 74,000 years ago when there was a volcanic eruption at Lake Toba in Sumatra. Animals and plants died out and the temperatures dropped to near freezing everywhere, save the equator. The human race barely survived."

"If those clouds remain, we could face a sort of nuclear winter and an ice age," Jack concluded grimly, then noticed the quizzical looks being focused at him by his 2 colleagues. "What? I like to read."

"You read about extinction level climactic shifts?" Erica asked with a smile. Jack was an odd duck, but it was part of his endearing charm.

Hobbes simply frowned and said, "The V's could use the threat of an ice age to force a surrender from…well, Earth."

"This is really…" Erica began, but was interrupted by the trilling of her phone. She picked it up, raising a hand to hush the men. "Evans."

She didn't know who was calling, but expected it to be either Tyler or someone from her work. So it came as a surprise when she heard, "Agent Evans? It's Lisa. I need your help."

She blinked. "Lisa, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Jack and Hobbes both looked at her with interest. They knew Lisa had been instrumental in destroying Anna's eggs before they could hatch. It had been a victory for the Fifth Column but it was a bit overshadowed by the new, strange, red sky.

"We managed to extract Joshua from the ship, but…."

"What?" Erica exclaimed, actually pulling the phone from her ear to look at it in shock. "No, Lisa, I had to kill…."

"He was wounded, not killed," Lisa continued over her, stress clear in her voice. "He's still recovering and can't walk any farther…I didn't know who else to call…."

"It's all right, Lisa," Erica said, thrilled to hear she hadn't killed one of their few allies. The really did need to expand their ranks. "Where are you? We'll come get you."

Lisa gave her a location, saying they were outside a small library only blocks from the Peace Ambassador center. Hobbes remained behind , as they were wary of the increased police presence on the streets. NYPD would have increased the number of foot patrols, hoping to quell the possibility of riots and looting, which tended to happen in times of confusion and stress.

The navigational computer in Erica's SUV directed them through the eerily lit streets. Everything was bathed bloody red as though someone had placed a giant, red filmed spotlight above them.

People on the sidewalks were gazing upwards, many clustered in groups. Some were talking on their cell phones and pointing at the sky as though whomever they were chatting with could see them. More than a few people appeared to be shoving suitcases into cars, probably to leave the city.

As though there was anyplace to escape to. The clouds encompassed the whole planet.

The roads were crazy, but they arrived at the library without too much trouble. The tiny parking lot was empty, so she pulled into a spot close to where they could see two people huddled on an outdoor bench, shaded by a tree.

Leading Jack over, Erica said, "Lisa…Joshua, you two okay?"

The young V girl looked up at her, relief clear on her pretty features. One of her arms was around Joshua, who was hunched over, arms wrapped around his torso. One of his eyes, squeezed shut in pain, cracked open at her question. "Hello, Agent Evans," he muttered. "We are fine. Thank you."

"You are not fine," Lisa chided him gently, eyes darting nervously to Jack, who was standing by Erica's side.

As the only one familiar with all parties present, Erica said, "Lisa, Joshua, this is Jack."

Joshua's pained eyes bounced over to Jack. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Jack replied, stepping forward to smoothly drop into a crouch before the pair of them. He reached out a hand, laying it first on Joshua's clammy brow and then checking his pulse. "Temp and pulse seem normal…."

Lisa cocked her head to the side and smiled faintly. "We are not human, despite our appearances."

"Oh, of course. Sorry," Jack sat back on his heels, obviously flummoxed as to what he could do for the injured younger man.

Placing a hand on Jack's shoulder, Erica said, "Let's help them to the car."

"Can you stand?" Lisa murmured to Joshua, who swallowed, gave a brief nod and unfolded his frame.

Jack caught Joshua's free arm and draped it over his shoulders, taking a chunk of the medic's weight easily. Lisa remained tucked into his other side, helping steady him more than anything.

Seeing the slow, pained steps, Erica winced. She knew it had been necessary to shoot Joshua, hell, he had demanded she do so, but it didn't make her feel any less guilty. Especially at this moment, ruffled and in everyday clothing that made him look younger than his V uniform.

She opened the back door of the Ford, then helped ease Joshua into the roomy seat. Lisa scrambled in beside him, leaving the front passenger seat for Jack.

Once they were all ensconced in the relative privacy of the vehicle, Erica looked at the pair in the rearview mirror and asked, "What happened up there?"

Lisa met her eyes in the reflection. "The destruction of so many of her eggs angered Mother greatly. I know she has accelerated her plans greatly, though I do not know what those plans are and she has ordered the rest of the fleet to approach."

"Some of the soldiers survived?" Joshua beat them to the punch and asked the pertinent question. The whole reason behind the bombing that so riled Anna was to destroy her fighting force before it was even born.

"Eight," Lisa replied confidently. "But there are doubts about their viability."

"The explosion would have compromised their core temperatures," Joshua mused with a nod, then grimaced as the car bounced over a pot hole. Even with the odd red light casting it's sheen over his pale features, the medic was looking very green. "Their survival is doubtful."

That was definitly good news.

After a moment of quiet, Jack asked, "Are we going back to Hobbes's…cause that place isn't exactly the kind of place I'd want to bring someone who's ill."

Erica frowned. That was true enough. She usually tried not to think about what the grimy yuck on those basement walls was. The mother inside her cringed at the thought of bringing someone there to heal.

"I've got Tyler at home," Erica said, knowing her house was out as a place to bring them, as was the rectory where Jack lived.

"I will be fine anywhere," Joshua said with a grunt as they hit another pothole. "My skeletal and musculature systems simply require time to fully heal…and possibly some protein. That would help."

Erica glanced back at him. "I'm really glad you're still alive, but…how? I made sure to aim for your heart."

There was a brief pause. "Had I been a soldier, drone or tracker you would have killed me. But some of us are…bred differently."

"How so?" Jack asked curiously, turning in his seat to look back at them fully.

Lisa and Joshua exchanged looks and it was Lisa who said, "Our society has an extremely structured hierarchy, predicated by birth and genetics. Soldiers and trackers emerge from their shells fully grown and in possession of an inborn skill set. Drones are also mature at birth, but have the ability to learn and adapt. They are responsible for most of the low to mid level duties aboard ship as well as off ship assignments such as infiltration. Then there are those of us who born…."

"As actual younglings," Joshua continued for her. "Generals, doctors, leaders of departments and professions…Queens…we are born without an innate sense of our duties. We learn them as we grow and observe. This allows us some limited freedoms."

"So you two had childhoods," Erica said, pleased by this before being struck with an odd thought. "How old…I mean, do your appearances reflect your ages?"

Again, a look was exchanged and Joshua hedged, "We mature at different rates than humans and with the varying maturity rates and life spans among the sub groups of our people, age is not taken into consideration as much as one's completion of standardized judgment and logic exams, as well as educational levels if they are required of your post."

Now it was Erica's turn to share a glance with Jack. "That wasn't exactly an answer."

"Our appearances place us in an age range that reflects our accepted place in society. Young, but adult," Lisa said, shifting in her seat. "Mother is still instructing me on her idea of the proper way to rule our people."

"Had my own father not passed away, I would still be learning from him as well. He was Anna's chief medical officer before me," Joshua added, eyes sliding towards the window as a different sort of pain settled in them. "I hadn't thought I'd serve in that capacity until Lisa's reign."

Nodding, Erica decided to let the topic drop for the moment. Interesting that they'd learned more about the V's society in the past few minutes than they had from Ryan.

Beside her, Jack was tapping at the GPS. When he finished, he said, "We can go here."

Obviously, he was thinking about a safe house. With a look at the address, she said, "DUMBO?"

"My niece lives there," Jack said simply. "I know she's out of town for the week, but I have keys. It's safe clean and quiet."

It was the best option available to them at the moment and Erica turned the wheel, following the directions as they appeared on the screen. As they cruised through the crowded streets, filled with honking cars and still gaping pedestrians, she asked, "Do either of you have any idea what happened to Ryan? Or Val and the baby?"

Joshua shook his head, sinking back against the seat as though the last of his energy had waned and he couldn't muster up words. Lisa frowned and asked, "Who is Ryan?"

"A friend," Erica said, disappointed that they had information about their missing resistance fighter. "He's Fifth Column. His fiancée, Val, was pregnant. Last we heard, she had been caught and taken up to the ship and Ryan went after her."

Lisa was wide eyed. "I didn't think it was possible for our two species to mate!"

The stark terror in the girls voice told Erica way more about her son's sex life than she cared to know and she caught Jack's eye. The priest offered her a sympathetic grimace and it was clear he'd caught the inflection in Lisa's voice.

Choosing not to comment, (cause really, what could she say?) Erica simply continued to drive. After a moment, she jumped slightly when Jack's hand landed atop her own, gently squeezing her fingers. It wasn't until then that she realized she had a white knuckled death grip on the steering wheel. His callused fingers remained wrapped comfortingly around her own even after she relaxed her hand.

In the back seat, Lisa was whispering something to Joshua, whose expression grew more and more uncomfortable the longer she talked.

Huh. Well, she was good at repressing things. It was a handy skill and she could turn her focus elsewhere.

It was much easier to deal with the thoughts of the red sky and possible end of the world. Far less emotionally scarring.

TBC……….

V*V*V*V*V

I have way too many WIP's, but after the season finale, I felt a need to start another story and my muse wouldn't let me work on the others until I at least got this one started. I'll probably keep this one going till the new season starts….at least that's my hope!


	2. Chapter 2

The narrow, multi-leveled home Jack directed them to was attached to a bakery of all things. While the olds, wooden façade of the house was a muted, slate grey tone, the front door had been painted bright green and someone had decorated it with large, happy looking daisies. Oddly, or perhaps ironically, there were five of the flowers smiling down at them as they climbed the short staircase.

Jack pulled a small keychain from the pocket of his blue hoodie and opened the door, allowing Erica and Lisa to usher Joshua in. The doctor was trembling from head to toe and, if he were human, Jack would think he was about to either faint or vomit, but his constitution proved to be sturdy and he did neither.

Erica passed Joshua's arm off to Jack and did a quick sweep of the place. She figured it couldn't hurt to be prepared. But this brightly painted, happily eclectic house was probably the least likely place in the world for someone to be lying in wait for them. The matte metal of her sidearm simply looked out of place amidst the patterned fabrics and warm colors.

By the time she had satisfied herself that the building was secure, Jack and Lisa had deposited Joshua in a bed, blue and green comforter tucked snugly around him. Still, his shaking was clearly visible.

"Can you make it warmer in here?" Lisa asked curiously. She obviously knew homes on Earth were heated but was unfamiliar with the specifics of the technology.

To Erica the house felt quite warm already, possibly a by product of sharing a wall with a bakery. Those ovens had to run hot.

"Sure," Jack agreed with a nod, crossing the room to adjust the old fashioned thermostat. "What's comfortable for you?"

"Warmer is better," Lisa said simply. "We can tolerate cooler climates, but it is not particularly comfortable and a bit taxing."

"Okay."

Watching Jack crank the temperature up, Erica looked around the room. Jack had leaned against the wall by the door while Lisa had perched lightly on the nightstand beside the bed. Cocooned in the blankets, Joshua seemed to have succumbed to the pull of much needed sleep.

"Will you three be all right here?" Erica asked reluctantly. "I have to head off to the office before Kendrick or Malik notice I'm not there."

Jack gave her an agreeable smile and nod while Lisa looked up from her contemplation her sleeping friend. "Agent Malik is one of Mother's acolytes."

"She is?" Erica wasn't entirely surprised but it was nice to have her suspicions confirmed. The woman was just way too creepy and nosy. "That's good to know. Anyone else I should be aware of?"

Lisa frowned slightly. "Not that I know of…I will look into obtaining that information."

"That'd be a big help," Erica said, giving the younger woman a smile before stepping toward the door. Jack pushed away from the wall, hand brushing her back for a moment as he walked her towards the front of the house.

As if he could read the tension in her shoulders, Jack spoke as they reached the front door. "We'll be fine here, Erica. It's safe. I'll make a run to the store once Lisa settles in and if you're not back later I'll get her a cab to the Peace Ambassador center or wherever she has to go."

Well, that was one less thing to worry about…Oh who was she kidding? She was still going to worry. Speaking of worries…. "I still don't know what to do about Tyler," she said softly, "But with Lisa on our side, getting him to accept the truth should go a bit smoother."

He chucked, corners of his eyes crinkling with the smile. "There is that," he replied, turning slightly to face her.

As it had so many times in the past, Erica's finely honed (though somehow vulnerable to tall, blond priests with really nice…arms) personal space alarm went off, signaling they'd been sharing close physical proximity for too long. If one of them didn't step back, there'd be glances at lips or long gazes into blue eyes and that could only lead to massive frustration for both of them.

"See ya later, Father." Quickly, she made her exit, heading off to her job of hunting down the Fifth Column, a V sleeper agent by her side. This was going to be interesting.

V*V*V*V*V

The more time she spent on Earth, the more Lisa found herself appreciating the homes she saw there. Aboard the ships, she'd grown up in an assortment of sterile rooms, cold metals and composites, materials stiff and monochromatic.

Erica and Tyler's home was neat but felt lived in, as though some of their own essence had been absorbed by their environment. This place had a similar feeling, a warmth and even a comforting smell that the mother ships lacked.

Looking around the room, she contemplated her surroundings. The walls were a warm sandy beige, but a border ran along the walls just below the ceiling, antique looking images of maps in sprays of rust, gold and deep blues. The effect was quite pleasant and matched the rust and blue comforter Joshua was huddled under.

The furniture, bed, bedside table, dresser, desk and chair, was all made of sturdy wood, but weathered and worn and well used. There were framed pictures on the walls, prints of the strange pyramidal structures found in the deserts and copies of ancient art from that region. There was something…soothing about the whole room.

Lisa was startled to find she had once again begun stoking Joshua's hair as he slept. It was comforting, she thought and wondered if perhaps this was one of the reasons mother discouraged excessive physical contact between her subjects.

Movement by the door drew Lisa's attention. Jack had paused at the threshold and as asked softly, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Drawing her hand back, she nodded and rose from her makeshift seat. It would be best to allow Joshua to rest undisturbed. Quietly, she followed her new ally into the kitchen and watched him open the door of a refrigerated unit.

"Let's see…would you like orange juice, Jones Cola, milk, water or I could make some coffee or tea?" Jack offered after perusing the contents of the fridge.

"I like juice," she said, prompting him to pull the jug from the fridge and fill two heavy glasses. As he handed her one, Jack motioned to the stools tucked under the lip of the counter.

They settled onto the chairs and as Jack raised his glass to sip, Lisa asked, "Do you have a daughter or a son?"

Jack coughed, choking for a moment on his juice and Lisa wondered what faux pas she had made. Finally, he sputtered, "Excuse me?"

Lisa inclined her head towards the front of the house. "I heard Agent Evans refer to you as Father," she said, then realized he might have been confused as to how she had heard that exchange. "Our senses are more acute than humans."

"Ah," he responded, then placed his glass down on the counter and let out a soft huff of contemplation. "No, I don't have any children. Father is an honorary given to men in my field."

This was interesting. "You do not work with Agent Evans?"

"No." He shook his head with a slight smile. "No, I'm a priest…Do your people have a system of beliefs that suppose a higher power."

She'd read a bit about the different religions on Earth and had a vague idea of what a priests role was, but she really had no frame of reference to compare that knowledge to. "No…There is Mother's bliss, but I don't think that can be compared. Joshua says it's more like brainwashing."

"There have been those who have accused religions of doing just that," Jack told her. "Myself, I find a sense of comfort in the hope it provides through faith in a power higher than myself…even if I don't understand that power all the time. God is omniscient, omnipresent and forgiving. No matter how badly I fail at something, I believe He will not damn me and that gives me a feeling of strength that helps me to continue on."

"So you lead people who hold a faith similar to you own?" Lisa asked, still unsure. Their society had no such occupation.

"In a way, yes. I think though, the spirit of faith is to provide guidance, not to deny anyone's free will. How you live your life, the decisions you make, they shape you as a person and if you live truly following what you believe to be right in your heart, then you have lived a good life," he said, then paused to sip his drink.

Lisa pondered this. It did sound nice. Having both comfort and freedom. Her mother's bliss only offered false comfort and that could only be achieved through the loss of one's self. But she had read enough to know a lot of the wars in Earth's history had been waged in the name of religion, which was odd because the basic tenants of many faiths seemed to be very similar.

"Thank you for explaining," she said after taking a drink. The juice was tangy and pulpy, which was different than the smooth, sweet drink Tyler had once given her, but pleasant in its own way.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Jack asked, "I'm going to make a run to the market to pick up some fresh food. I know Joshua mentioned protein, but are there any foods you prefer? Or any foods you might be allergic to?"

"Most of the food I've eaten down here has been with Tyler," Lisa said, thinking back to the meals she'd shared with the boy. "We ate a lot of pizza and cheeseburgers. And soda…which I do not like. The bubbles go up my nose and it is very sweet."

Her comment made Jack chuckle and he assured her, "There are lots of uncorroborated beverages to choose from. I'll pick up some iced tea. Maybe that would be more to your taste."

She had no idea what iced tea was but it had to be better than the syrupy sweetness of the colas Tyler favored. After a brief discussion that assured Jack she knew how to work the television and would thus be able to keep herself entertained, the priest left to go to the grocery store.

Finishing her juice, Lisa placed the glass in the sink, rinsing it as she had seen Jack do. Then she wandered around the kitchen, for the first time really left alone to consider an Earth home. The room looked far more streamlined and modern than the rest of the house with stainless steel appliances and some kind of stone countertop.

The sitting room was softer, with squishy chairs and couches and a large television. She ignored those in favor of stopping in front of an overstuffed bookcase and peering at the outward facing spines. They didn't have actual paper books up on the ships, but in the time they had been on Earth, Lisa had found she appreciated the unique aroma of old paper that clung to the aged texts.

She ran a finger along the creased spines, then paused and pulled out the one that seemed the most worn. _Slaughterhouse-Five _by Kurt Vonnegut. Odd name for a book, but she figured it might be worth reading if someone else loved it enough to wear down the writing on the spine.

Book in hand, she made her way back into the room where Joshua was sleeping. Diffused red light filtered in through the gauzy window shades and it was plenty bright for her to read. Retaking her perch on the night table, she looked down at Joshua, who had sung further under the blanket, the fabric pulled up to just below his nose. Thick dark lashes rested against his cheekbones and Lisa again let herself reach out and touch his hair.

Opening the book, she began to read, fingers moving gently with the rhythm of the words. The house was silent and there was an odd peace, not like what bliss offered but calming all the same. She soon found the book was not to her liking, perhaps one had to be human to understand the nuances, but she stayed in her seat, enjoying Joshua's company, even if he was asleep.

V*V*V*V*V

Awareness crept up slowly, pulling Joshua through a comfy, hazy fog into a still painful, hazy alertness. Before he dared open his eyes (fearful that the rush from the ship had been a dream and he was still up there, facing unbearable torment), he took stock in his surroundings using his other senses.

He was surrounded by a cocoon of warmth, soft, clean smelling fabrics encased him almost to his nose. There are other scents, things alien to him that he can't identify, but that in itself is a comfort. It he had been amidst familiar odors, he would have known he was still aboard the ship. Soft music and low voices filter in, possibly from another room. Someone was near enough to stroke his head, fingers carding through his hair, nails scratching lightly on his scalp.

It felt nice.

Focusing inward, he was pleased to note the worst of the pain had receded, meaning his shattered bones had finished knitting. The ripped muscles still ached but were tolerable and would heal soon enough. He took a deep breath, testing, but was rewarded with a sharp stab of pain, indicating it would be a day or so before he felt well again. He was just grateful Marcus had ordered an accelerated (if not the fastest) healing regime. Otherwise he would have been dead or pained for months.

"Joshua?"

The fingers in his hair stilled as Lisa obviously noted the change in his breathing. He heard clothing rustle and a soft creak as she hopped from her seat to lean over the bed and peer down at him.

Blinking, a part of Joshua's mind noted the fact that the light filtering in, though dimmed, was still red. It was nearly nightfall, he realized with a jolt. Born on the ships, he'd never actually seen day turn to night while planet side.

"Joshua, how are you?" Lisa asked, gently pushing the blankets away from his face and trying to catch his gaze.

Swallowing, he gave himself a figurative shake and focused his eyes on her, saying, "I am well."

His voice certainly didn't sound it, hoarse and scratchy and very unlike himself. Trying to clear his throat, he found it quite dry and uncomfortable.

"Here," Lisa said, picking up a clear plastic bottle from the table and holding it to allow him to take a small sip of water. It was cool and clean and felt marvelous on his parched throat.

After a moment, he said, "Thank you."

The water had helped and she nodded, replacing the bottle on the table and, after a short hesitation, perched lightly on the edge of the bed. "Are you truly better?" she asked, meeting his eyes with her serious, blue gaze. "Please tell me the truth."

When she asked like that he found himself unable to offer anything but an honest answer. "I have not yet fully healed, but am far better than I was. All that remains to be repaired are some internal muscles."

"That's good news," she replied, looking pleased, then she grew somber once again. "I will have to return to the ship after dinner. Erica is on her way with Tyler. Jack says she spoke with him this afternoon and they want me to confirm Mother's ill intent."

"It's probably best he is aware of the danger," Joshua agreed, pushing down the blankets and pulling himself into a sitting position. He accomplished this with far less struggle than he had aboard the ship.

"Yes," Lisa nodded, folding her hands in her lap and looking down at them. When she looked up again, she asked, "What do you think Mother is planning?"

Joshua's face fell. Despite the serious subject matter, it was oddly freeing to be able to react openly. "I wish I knew. I think my father got too close to the truth before…."

Lisa's back stiffened. "Did…did Mother have him killed?"

He'd thought that was common knowledge and wondered what else Anna hadn't seen fit to tell Lisa. "Yes," he replied softly. "He recruited me into the Fifth Column shortly before his death. He believed our people did not need to conquer others in order to survive. Under your rule, we can be different."

"We will be," she murmured, placing one small hand atop his where it rested on the blankets. "But for now… do you feel up to eating at a table or shall I bring something to you?"

"I'll eat with the rest of you," he said, knowing it would do him well to get out of the bed. Gently sniffing the air, he asked, "Is that smell dinner?"

"Beef Stew and biscuits," Lisa replied with a nod, then her eyes brightened. "And there's a berry trifle for dessert that looks very pretty. I helped make it."

This wasn't exactly how he'd imagined his first real meeting with the bulk of the human resistance, but then things rarely seemed to go according to plan. Survival depended on one's ability to adapt to change.

And things had certainly changed. Even days earlier, he never would have imagined he'd find himself on Earth discussing a coup with Lisa while she smiled down at him. Her smile warmed his heart in a way that was unfamiliar but not unwelcome, though he didn't particularly want to dwell on that thought. There was simply too much happing as it was.

As he shifted, Lisa rose to allow him to get out of the bed. Taking his arm, she said, "Come. I'll get you a drink. The iced tea is nice but avoid any soda. The bubbles hurt your nose."

Joshua nodded, accepting her advice as she had spent far more time in the company of humans than he had, but then that was just another thing that was about to change. Lisa would return to the ship and he would remain. Some of the Fifth Column had survived aboard the ships, so she would not be alone.

It didn't make him worry any less.

TBC….


	3. Chapter 3

And to think, he'd thought dinner up on the mother ship with Anna was going to be awkward. That was nothing compared to how strange he felt sitting down at a table with his mother, his girlfriend (who happened to be an alien), an alien doctor and a priest as they filled him in on the fact that Anna was evil. Anna, who was his girlfriend's mother. Anna, who had been so friendly to him.

Anna, who apparently had some very nasty plans for the human race. And possibly him in particular.

Lisa looked really nice in the blue top she was wearing tonight.

Great. He was so happy to have been kept out of the loop for so long…not. He was a bit peeved that his mother and girlfriend had kept such a big secret from him.

And now they were having a strange dinner, discussing plans and it was surreal, like a movie. He guessed you could kinda compare the motherships with the Death Star. That made the Fifth Colum the rebel alliance and Lisa was clearly the princess…and he was getting off topic to avoid how utterly strange this whole situation felt.

No, this was not a sci-fi movie. This was life. This was sitting around the table with glasses of iced tea (not nearly sweet enough) with bowls of beef stew. The priest was saying a silent prayer, which was odd.

"Does anyone else just feel really uncomfortable?" He had to ask even if it was a little embarrassing, cause everyone else was acting like it was normal to sit down over beef stew and discuss an inter planetary coup. He hoped it wasn't just him, but he had the feeling it was.

To his relief, Joshua looked up from sniffing his soup and simply said, "Yes."

Tyler really didn't know the doctor that well (he'd usually been very quiet up on the ships, a figure moving around in Anna's inner circle) but he felt a swell of kinship at Joshua's admission. Then the doctor continued, "Have you been wounded?"

"What? No." Tyler's relief was short lived. He wondered if Lisa often misinterpreted things he said and was just better at hiding it. "Um, I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

"No," Joshua said at the same moment Lisa said, "Yes."

The two V's looked at each other for a moment, trying to see who would blink first. The priest - Father Jack, his mom's friend- broke the silence. "You know, we have a saying here on Earth. Doctors make the worst patients."

Lisa looked victorious and Joshua, whom Tyler had only ever seen looking like an aloof, detached V, frowned a bit. "I'd think with an abundance of medical knowledge, one would be able to self diagnose and have some idea of what their treatment would entail, thus making them better patients."

"You'd think that would be the case, but it's not," his mom said, accepting a warm roll from the basket Father Jack was handing around. "And it's clear that saying applies to you as well. I shot you in the chest. You might be healing, but you're not better yet."

"Thank you Agent Evans." Lisa seemed pleased with the support and accepted a roll herself, taking a second and placing it on Joshua's plate. "Eat. It's good."

"If it's too heavy, just try some of the broth." A suggestion from Mom, of course. It was a little funny, cause Joshua was a doctor, an adult, and there Mom was trying to mother him.

A tiny little thought fought for his attention. If the V's really didn't look like humans, if their skin was just a sort of…people suit, were they actually anywhere near the ages they appeared to be? Any of them could be like, 40 and you'd never know it…except Lisa, who was clearly his age and not an old person in disguise.

Choosing not to think to hard about that, Tyler spooned a mouthful of the stew into this mouth. It was good. Lots of tender chunks of meat, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables that he normally wouldn't eat, but when soaked in beef broth were okay.

Wait. Back it up a minute. "Mom," Tyler asked hesitantly, peering over at her. "Why did you shoot Joshua?"

Again, there was a very loud silence and glances were exchanged. "Well," Mom began, putting her spoon down to regard him solemnly, "We had a plan to destroy Anna's eggs that went…."

"That was you?"

"Yes." Lisa's voice was confidant. "Joshua gave me a grenade and created a distraction. I gave your mother the grenade and she destroyed the eggs."

"It was necessary for Agent Evans to remain in Anna's good graces, so I requested she shoot me," Joshua added, dipping the biscuit into the stew and then taking a bite as Jack had been doing.

"You requested…?" Tyler let the question trail off because that was the sort of thing he didn't want to think about. Obviously, the Fifth Column was pretty hard core if they were willing to die for the cause.

It was a little chilling, considering his mom and girlfriend were both pretty involved. He wondered if they would end up sacrificing themselves.

Sometimes, growing up really, really sucked.

TBC…..


	4. Chapter 4

Several days passed with little headway made. Anna and Marcus had become increasingly tight lipped, even around Lisa, attempting to mask their discontent over Joshua's disappearance. The only time she'd seen Ryan and his baby, he'd not even acknowledged her existence.

Mother's continued dismissal allowed Lisa to spend time on Earth. Joshua was recovering quickly and, with the help of Father Jack, he'd set up a makeshift lab in the basement. The priest, who was staying at the house with Joshua and shrugging off Agent Evans's inquiries about being missed at the church, attempted to help but shied away from the various chemical analyses.

Tyler often came by after school, but since the big reveal, he'd drawn back from her. It was understandable. He had to reconcile things in his own mind before he could be truly comfortable around her again.

Agent Evans would arrive in the evening and they would share a meal. Lisa confided in Joshua that this was fast becoming her favorite part of the day, getting to know their allies - their friends.

Joshua had smiled at her when she told him this and she felt the urge to do something to make him smile again. Soon.

Even odd Mr. Hobbes appeared occasionally, grunting that he was just there for the food and the planning. He tended to just glare a lot and make sarcastic quips about Father Jack and Agent Evans that caused Tyler to choke on his soda.

From the look on Father Jack's face, Lisa assumed the comments had been made in very poor taste and had simply been too culturally specific for her or Joshua to understand.

"One more comment like that," Agent Evans was saying, blunt butter knife jabbing in Hobbes's direction, "And I'll be taking suggestions for creative punishments."

Clearly believing her to be teasing (or simply not caring), Hobbes said, "Gonna butter my muffin, Luv?"

Erica snorted and looked around the table with a raised brow. "Suggestions?"

Lisa was at a loss, but Joshua set his utensils down, wiped his mouth and said, "Well, I've never skinned a human before, but I'm sure I could work something out."

For a moment, everyone froze in wide eyed silence, then Lisa caught the glint in her friend's eye, saw the quirk at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, letting out a huff of a laugh and swatting his arm gently. "Very funny, Joshua!"

The skin around his eyes crinkled a bit as his smile widened and he inclined his head, clearly pleased that she'd understood that he was attempting to be funny.

Humor was not their strong suit, as they had discovered when Tyler had sat them down to watch 'the funniest show ever.' The teenager had laughed, giggled and snorted his way through several episodes of the half hour program while Joshua and Lisa had simply stared at the crude animations of vulgar children, one of whom appeared to have the ability to rise from the dead. At the end of a two hour marathon, Tyler had sighed and decided they must not 'get it.'

But they were trying. Joshua had found he enjoyed Jon Stewart's satiric take on current events and Lisa had taken a liking to Stephen Colbert.

This was the first time one of them had tried to make a joke though and the reactions were…mixed. Hobbes looked angry, but that appeared to be his default expression. Tyler was clearly unnerved, but Father Jack and Agent Evans cracked small smiles.

"I'm not sure it's come to that yet," the FBI agent said, starting to chuckle slightly. "But I'll keep that offer in mind. Just in case."

Hobbes made a disgruntled noise and hunkered back down over his meat loaf and smashed potatoes, shoveling overly laden fork full's into his mouth at an impressive pace, though he was unable to match Tyler in speed and sheer volume of consumption.

That seemed to be a skill unique to young human males.

Then again…she glanced over at Joshua, who had resumed working on his own meal. Oddly, he seemed particularly fond of the potatoes. Of course, she'd found herself quite liking the raspberry torte from the night before, so she wasn't one to judge.

TBC….


End file.
